NameCensus.

UK surname

Cotterell

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Cote", referring to a cottage or small dwelling.

In the 1881 census there were 1,267 people recorded with the Cotterell surname, ranking it #3,216 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,581, ranked #3,923, down from #3,216 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Darlaston and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire and Stroud.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cotterell is 1,711 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.8%.

1881 census count

1,267

Ranked #3,216

Modern count

1,581

2016, ranked #3,923

Peak year

1911

1,711 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cotterell had 1,267 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,216 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,581 in 2016, ranked #3,923.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,711 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cotterell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cotterell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cotterell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cotterell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 860 #3,164
1861 historical 773 #3,560
1881 historical 1,267 #3,216
1891 historical 1,426 #3,061
1901 historical 1,693 #3,050
1911 historical 1,711 #2,862
1997 modern 1,534 #3,835
1998 modern 1,665 #3,702
1999 modern 1,663 #3,737
2000 modern 1,648 #3,746
2001 modern 1,610 #3,754
2002 modern 1,646 #3,740
2003 modern 1,567 #3,843
2004 modern 1,521 #3,948
2005 modern 1,505 #3,947
2006 modern 1,486 #3,989
2007 modern 1,500 #3,997
2008 modern 1,516 #3,985
2009 modern 1,551 #3,993
2010 modern 1,592 #3,970
2011 modern 1,618 #3,878
2012 modern 1,572 #3,914
2013 modern 1,614 #3,881
2014 modern 1,589 #3,963
2015 modern 1,572 #3,959
2016 modern 1,581 #3,923

Geography

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Where Cotterells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Darlaston, London parishes, Easthampstead and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire and Stroud. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Darlaston Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Easthampstead Berkshire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
2 Herefordshire 007 Herefordshire, County of
3 Herefordshire 012 Herefordshire, County of
4 Herefordshire 013 Herefordshire, County of
5 Stroud 011 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cotterell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cotterell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cotterell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cotterell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cotterell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cotterell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cotterell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cotterell is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cotterell falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cotterell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cotterell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cotterell

The surname Cotterell is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words 'cotrerl' and 'cotrel', meaning a cottager. It first emerged in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in the 13th century.

In medieval times, the Cotterell name was associated with smallholders, peasants or labourers who lived in modest cottages or huts. The earliest recorded spelling was Coterelle in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273.

The name Cotterell appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Coterel, referring to a landowner in Somerset. In the Testa de Nevill, an ancient collection of feudal tenures in England, a John Coterel was listed as a landowner in Buckinghamshire in 1212.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Geoffrey Cotterell, a merchant from Bristol, who was mentioned in the city's records in 1314. The variant spelling Coterell was used in the Kent Feet of Fines in 1301, which listed a John Coterell as a landowner in Headcorn.

Sir John Cotterell (1614-1672) was a notable English politician and courtier who served as the Secretary to the Council of State during the English Civil War. He was also a Member of Parliament for Westbury in Wiltshire.

Another person of note was John Cottrell (1614-1701), an English philosopher and theologian who wrote several works on metaphysics and theology. He was a fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

The Cotterell family was also prominent in Staffordshire, where they held estates and manors. One notable member was Sir Clement Cotterell (1585-1631), a lawyer and Member of Parliament for Staffordshire.

In Ireland, the name was sometimes anglicized as Cotterill or Cottrill. A notable bearer was Sir John Cotterill (1759-1847), an Irish judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1838 to 1846.

The Cotterell name has also been associated with several places in England, such as Cotterells in Devon, derived from the personal name, and Cotterell Farm in Somerset, which may have been owned by a family with this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cotterell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cotterell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Warwickshire leads with 146 Cotterells recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.67x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 146 4.67x
Staffordshire 141 3.37x
Middlesex 122 0.98x
Surrey 110 1.82x
Gloucestershire 100 4.12x
Berkshire 97 10.43x
Lancashire 78 0.53x
Worcestershire 73 4.51x
Somerset 39 1.96x
Kent 34 0.80x
Herefordshire 30 5.91x
Devon 29 1.12x
Cheshire 27 0.99x
Yorkshire 23 0.19x
Hampshire 21 0.83x
Derbyshire 18 0.93x
Glamorgan 18 0.83x
Oxfordshire 18 2.35x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.90x
Sussex 15 0.72x
Northamptonshire 11 0.94x
Durham 10 0.27x
Suffolk 10 0.66x
Lanarkshire 9 0.22x
Wiltshire 9 0.82x
Northumberland 8 0.43x
Rutland 8 8.80x
Leicestershire 6 0.44x
Monmouthshire 6 0.67x
Essex 5 0.20x
Hertfordshire 4 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.38x
Cumberland 3 0.28x
Dorset 3 0.37x
Royal Navy 3 2.03x
Shropshire 3 0.28x
Cardiganshire 2 0.66x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.60x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.81x
Isle of Man 2 0.87x
Lincolnshire 2 0.10x
Norfolk 2 0.11x
Brecknockshire 1 0.40x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.20x
Perthshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 58 Cotterells recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.74x.

Place Total Index
Aston 58 6.74x
Birmingham 56 5.38x
Easthampstead 36 722.89x
St Pancras London 24 2.41x
Lambeth 21 1.94x
Battersea 19 4.17x
Darlaston 19 32.88x
Wednesbury 18 17.22x
Walsall Foreign 16 7.41x
Wolverhampton 14 4.35x
Roath 13 13.27x
Hackney London 12 1.73x
Rushall 12 48.76x
Stapleton 12 26.04x
Islington London 11 0.92x
West Bromwich 11 4.59x
Horfield 10 40.90x
Oldham 10 2.11x
South Bersted 10 56.31x
Westbury On Trym 10 12.15x
Winsham 10 274.73x
Balsall 9 184.43x
Clevedon 9 43.39x
Everton 9 1.92x
Govan 9 0.91x
Hammersmith London 9 2.95x
Handsworth 9 8.73x
North Meols 9 6.25x
Portsea 9 1.81x
Stock And Bradley 9 947.37x
Winshill 9 72.76x
Woolwich 9 5.76x
Broadway 8 114.94x
Clapham 8 5.17x
Clifton 8 6.51x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 8.58x
Newland 8 39.18x
Oldbury 8 10.05x
Rotherhithe 8 5.23x
Royton 8 17.79x
Ryhall 8 264.90x
Wandsworth 8 6.71x
Webheath 8 277.78x
Willesborough 8 70.36x
Withington 8 240.96x
Wokingham 8 37.70x
Avening 7 81.59x
Barnstaple 7 17.29x
Birkenhead 7 3.21x
Brightside Bierlow 7 2.91x
Brimpton 7 386.74x
Deddington 7 84.34x
Goodrich 7 220.13x
Newington 7 1.53x
St Marylebone London 7 1.06x
West Derby 7 1.63x
Birlingham 6 402.68x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 2.62x
Cannock 6 8.22x
Caversham 6 39.22x
Cheltenham 6 3.20x
Exeter St Pancras 6 447.76x
Foy 6 434.78x
Great Malvern 6 17.77x
Hampstead Norris 6 102.74x
Ixworth 6 140.85x
Kensington London 6 0.87x
Leamington Priors 6 7.80x
Liverpool 6 0.67x
Monks Coppenhall 6 5.81x
Pinxton 6 60.85x
Reading St Giles 6 6.58x
Richmond 6 7.09x
Ruscombe 6 377.36x
Staunton 6 342.86x
Streatham 6 6.53x
Walsall Borough 6 18.48x
Wavertree 6 12.75x
Blackburn 5 1.28x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 2.52x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cotterell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cotterell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 83
John 63
George 48
Thomas 42
Charles 38
Henry 35
James 31
Joseph 24
Samuel 18
Edward 15
Richard 12
Walter 10
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Robert 8
Albert 7
Harry 7
Ernest 6
Benjamin 4
Francis 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Herbert 4
Sidney 4
Stephen 4
A. 3
David 3
Fredk. 3
Cornelius 2
Edwin 2
Howard 2
Isaac 2
Jas. 2
Jonathan 2
Lambert 2
Lewin 2
Michael 2
Sydney 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Charlie 1
Chas.W. 1
Christopher 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Wm.Jno.H. 1

FAQ

Cotterell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cotterell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,267 people were recorded with the Cotterell surname. That placed it at #3,216 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cotterell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,581 in 2016. That gives Cotterell a modern rank of #3,923.

What does the Cotterell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Cote", referring to a cottage or small dwelling.

What does the Cotterell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cotterell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.